Forever Friends
by SolemnTear
Summary: When the world of two best friends is consumed by the Darkness, they are infused with the powers of those without hearts. Together, the girls must find a way to restore themselves, or the darkness will consume them!
1. The Darkness is Coming

**Forever Friends**

By SolemnTear

**Chapter One: The Darkness is Coming...**

_ When the world of two best friends is consumed by the Darkness, they are infused with the powers of those without hearts. Together, the girls must find a way to restore themselves, or the darkness will consume them!_

A girl sat atop a large flat boulder in a grassy, almost treeless park, flipping through an old book. Her violet eyes scanning the yellowed pages with little interest. Long Black hair billowed gently in the sweet spring breeze, brushing against the two swords sitting beside her. She wore a pair of baggy black cargo pants and a black T-shirt with the Heartless logo on it. Sitting beside her feet as they brushed over the emerald grass, a pair of well-used black flip flops, the bottom ridges well worn. On her hands were black palm gloves, thick double stitching over each finger hole with obvious hand-stitched strays of threads. There was a crinkling of grass under shoes, and the girl lifted her head.

"About time Kayla..." the girl said, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Hey, I'm on time. You're early!" A voice protested from behind.

A girl with short, frizzy brown hair stood just behind the boulder, her blue-grey eyes glinting with a friendly, playful light. She wore a pair of baggy jeans covered in pictures drawn in permanent marker, and like her friend, she wore a black T- shirt with the Heartless logo on it, since both of them loved the game. She wore a pair of worn out white sneakers, laces loose as usual, too tattered and worn to tie a decent knot.

"Kayla. You know this is important, something..." The violet eyed girl stopped as her friend sat beside her. Kayla lifted one of the swords and unsheathed it, studying the sharp blade as it glinted against the sun.

"Wow Roxy, ya did great on my swords... You where saying?" Kayla muttered.

"I told you not to call me Roxy, it's Shadow." The girl growled.

"Okay, Shadow. So what's going on that's so important?" Kayla looked at Shadow with concern. She knew something was wrong, she could feel it, but what?

"Kayla... ya know how we always wished that 'Kingdom Hearts' was real? Well.. I'm starting to think it just might be... I found this after that meteor shower last night" Shadow reached over the side of the boulder to a backpack sitting beside her sandals and pulled out a black mass.

Kayla stared at the battered body of a Solider-type Heartless that shadow gripped in her pale hands. The eyes of the two girls met, Shadow's eyes were cold and hard with the gravity of the situation.

"It's coming, Kayla. The Darkness is coming and it will devour us, our world, everything if we aren't strong. I know you can feel it too.. Don't Deny it..." Kayla nodded solemnly, something _had_ been making her look over her shoulder the past few days, and the proof was there right in her friend's hands.

"So... what will we do?" Kayla asked in a wavering voice.

"We train, train hard. You keep your blades sharp..." Shadow pulled two long silver guns from beneath her shirt and grinned "and I'll keep my barrels full."

- Kayla's house; Two weeks later...-

Kayla flopped down on her bed, exhausted beyond belief. Shadow had sparred with her, suing blade, bullet, and body until both could barely stand. The girls missed do much school, it would be a wonder if they passed. But it was worth it. The girls had compacted the training that would have taken people several months into a mere two weeks in preparation for the coming of the Darkness. Her grey eyes closed into a deep, dreamless sleep. Welcome relief for from the rigorous training.

Kayla's peace lasted for the night and most of the morning, until a loud explosion broke the silence that Kayla savored so dearly. She ran to the winder and looked out, her eyes widening at the horrific site spreading before her.

People ran screaming from Heartless of all kinds through the darkened town, the amber eyed creatures devouring the hearts of every helpless person they could pounce upon as they poured down from the sky. Where the sun once was, a dark red hole floated, dark ooze pouring down and slowly flooding the streets. The day had come at last, and Kayla felt nothing but fury as she grabbed her twin swords from above her bed and ran out the door

Kayla slashed through one Heartless after another, gathering HP balls and items into her pockets in hopes that they would be useful in the future.. If there was one for her world... She cut down a Solider Heartless, bending down to pick up a few of the glowing green orbs that fell, when a shadow loomed over her.

Kayla looked up to see one of the menacing Heartless, classified as Invisibles, floating in front of her. The girl stood frozen as if caught by a spell, the Heartless lifted it's freighting blade. There was a sound of footsteps. A cloaked figure appeared between the Heartless and Kayla, arms spread wide as if to shield her from the assault.

"Kayla! Run!" Shadow's voice called as she blocked the Invisible's path. The chainsaw-shaped blade swung down, and a scream of pain was drowned out by a clap of thunder as a storm began. Blood sprayed out from the wound across Shadow's left shoulder and chest in a crest of red. She looked to her friend, an annoyed glimmer in her eyes.

"Dammit Kayla! Run!" Shadow yelled as she turned, grabbing Kayla's arm and pulling her as she ran. The dark girl pulled Kayla through the streets, dodging Heartless and people as the raced past the crumbling ruins of what used to be their hometown.

"Where're we going?!" Kayla cried as the two friends ran. Shadow didn't answer, she just kept running. After awhile a familiar sight came into view, it was the stone bomb shelter that Shadow found with Kayla a long time ago. It was the secret haven for the two friends had trained, studied magick, and just went to be alone.

The cement doors were ajar, the plant life that once surrounded the place was now dead and decaying. Lighting flashed, rain beginning to pour as the two girls pushed the heavy doors closed. Shadow leaned against the door, holding the wound across her chest and panting softly. To her, however, this was only superficial, it had already stopped bleeding and begun the long process of scabbing and creating new flesh to heal the cut.

"Shadow,.. Why didn't you shoot that Heartless?"

"All my bullets.. Went right through them.." Shadow said with a wince as she lifted her arm, her gun drawn and aimed at Kayla.

"Forgive me..." Shadow whispered as she closed her eyes... and pulled the trigger...


	2. We'll Die Together

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters. I do however own the plot of this story, it's original characters, original items, original moves, and basically anything that was not originally created by the KH team.

**Forever Friends**

By SolemnTear

**Chapter Two: We'll Die Together... **

Kayla closed her eyes and waited for death, but it never came. The bullet whistled past her ear and a gurgling howl echoed behind her. Kayla turned to see another Invisible Heartless, clawing at the large bullet hole in its throat. The Heartless burst into a cloud of Darkness, a few glowing green HP balls falling from it as it dissolved into the air. Kayla glared at Shadow, who had a small smile on her face.

"You said bullets didn't work!"

"I said they went _through_ them. They work alright." Shadow chuckled

"You shot with your eyes closed! You could've hit me!"

"Could've... But I didn't... "

Kayla shook her head, an ace gunman, and she shoots with her eyes closed. Something slammed into the door suddenly, sending Shadow stumbling forward. The two girls stared, frozen with fear as the massive stone doors began to crack. Something grasped Kayla's wrist. It was Shadow's trembling hand.

"Kay... If we die, I'm glad it's with a friend like you." Shadow whispered fearfully. Kayla nodded, but before she could answer, the door shattered. A wave of black goo poured into the bomb shelter, surrounding the girls in a pulsating mass of Darkness. As it curled upward to crash over them, Shadow hugged Kayla and turned her back to the wave of ooze as it flowed over them, enclosing them in darkness until no light could reach them. Kayla felt Shadow's body slid away, and as she faded into a deep sleep, she felt the Darkness begin to consume her heart.

Kayla felt herself falling, her memories fading away into the darkness. Then there was a voice...

_You must keep your heart strong... _

A light burst forth, surrounding her in a warm, white glow. The darkness pulled away, as if in fear of the light.

_You hold a great weapon Kayla... You must live... _

Slowly the light faded, the Darkness was gone. Kayla was somewhere she couldn't recognize... but somehow it felt familiar. She stood up and looked around, it was some kind of alley with wooden boxes strewn about. There was a soft tapping that began to echo against the cobblestones. Footsteps. And they were getting closer. A tall figure stepped into the alley, half concealed by the shadows created by the wall behind it.

"Kayla?" called a voice. It was shadow! She was alive! Kayla ran forward, hugging her friend, who returned the embrace tightly.

"I thought you'd never wake up... I thought I would to be all alone here... " Shadow said in a shaky voice. She hugged Kayla tighter, the brown-haired girl's back popping painfully from the pressure. Something leathery brushed against Kayla's arms, making her shudder.

"I'm sorry you had to wake up to this nightmare..." Shadow whispered sadly. Her words made Kayla pull away and look at her friend, and nearly scream.

Large black, dragon-like wings had sprouted from Shadow's back, the pale purple wing membrane was covered in a lacework of dried blood rivulets from when they had burst worth. Her ears were now sharply pointed, and her eyes seemed to glow in the dim of the alley, the pupils now slit. But what horrified Kayla the most, was the Heartless insignia upon her friends' forehead.

"Kayla..." Shadow started, seeing the horror on her friends' face. "The darkness changed me on the outside Kayla, but I'm still me. I still got my heart." Shadow placed a hand on her chest, where her heart should have been.

"You're lucky Kayla. The darkness didn't do much to you.. It only made your boobs bigger and gave you magic stronger than mine... Me? I got stuck with my own two hands..."

Kayla was unsure about her friend. But this was Shadow, she rarely said anything she didn't mean.. And she was the worst possible liar, her eyes always said how she really felt. And now, all her eyes showed was fear of losing her only friend after losing everything else she had known and loved.

"Shadow?"

"What...?"

"Let's go kick some Heartless ass!"

"Kay, now you're talking my language!" Shadow laughed, laughed in the way only Shadow could. Now Kayla was sure that this was her friend. The two laughed loudly as they headed back down the alley. It was almost as if they were still on their world, just two best friends having fun.

"So, what world is this?" asked Kayla as the two rounded the corner.

"Traverse Town, obviously!" Shadow said with a smug grin, her arm sweeping to the side as if to show off the town like a personal trophy. As Kayla stared at the bright lights of the first world before her, she was speechless... for once...


End file.
